Designers have a key role to play in CDM2015 as they are in a unique position to reduce the risks that arise during construction work. The earlier that decisions are made by them, the greater will be the affect on construction health and safety and the influence of later design choices. It is vital to consider health and safety in the design process from the outset.
Designers often consider health and safety in their designs by utilising the ‘Hierarchy of Risk Control’ during the design process. This process allows them to eliminate or mitigate risks to health and safety within their designs. Where it is not possible to eliminate particular risks, information about them must be passed to the Principal Contractor for inclusion in the Construction Phase Plan.
In arriving at design decisions concerning risk, the designer can take account of the costs of eliminating, or including, a design feature. These costs can be counted not just in financial terms but, for instance, in aesthetics, buildability, fitness for purpose, and environmental impact.
Designers’ responsibilities extend beyond the design phase. They need to consider the safety of those people who maintain, clean, repair and eventually demolish their structures.
Duties of Designers – Checklist
The designers’ duties on all construction projects are to:
- Ensure that the client is aware of the client’s duties prior to commencing any design work.
- Ensure that personnel allocated to their design team from internal resources are competent and adequately resourced.
- Ensure that any designers or contractors that are engaged on the project are competent and adequately resourced.
- Ensure that the design and the designers’ duties are complied with by any designers engaged by them, including any designers who are based outside Great Britain.
- Eliminate or reduce safety and health risks to constructors, users, maintainers, repairers, commissioners, testers, cleaners, demolishers, etc. when preparing the design.
- Co-operate and communicate with other designers, including temporary works designers, to ensure adequate co-ordination of the design.
- Provide information about the risks which cannot be satisfactorily addressed by their designs to the client, other designers and contractors.
On notifiable projects the designers’ additional duties are to:
- Verify that the project has been notified and that the Principal Designer has been appointed as soon as possible after commencement of initial or preliminary design.
- Co-operate with the Principal Designer for the verification of design and designer compliance and the co-ordination of the design.
- Provide any information requested by the Principal Designer for the health and safety file.